Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi Martin,
I have tried hand bending with a bending iron, I have tried bending on a bending machine/former with a steel slat on each side of the timber and silicone heater.
The heater was at 165 degrees C

Thanks for all the replies, To nkforster the splitting is at the waist and is across the grain, on my second attempt I soaked the timber for probably 10 minutes, while machine bending there was no audible crack so my hopes were up …initially. Tomorrow I will attempt a bend at 1.9mm and see how it go...

Hi to all, The two main factors I work with when choosing Sides and Backs for my guitars (they are all gifts for friends and family) are cost and aesthetics, I recently puchased some amazing looking Black Limba but cannot get the sides to bend without splitting. I have tried both hand and machine be...

I built my own for about $200 and absolutely love it, when sizing top/back/sides I always end up being within
+/- 0.1mm.

Hi Martin,
“ Add 3.5mm to theoretical scale length and this is distance from nut to front edge of saddle on Bass side”
Shouldn’t this read “on the Centreline of the guitar” as per 20.3.1?

Richard, with a Ducati the Electrics are SURE to fail

Hi Trevor, thanks for the response mate, You will note that I simply excluded the 3mm for nut compensation in my calculation, does that now make my numbers correct?

Thanks Martin, I think I have it sorted in my head now: If I locate the forward edge of the saddle at exactly the Scale Length, using a 5mm saddle and a saddle compensation span (1-6) of 3mm it should be fine?

Thanks Martin

Hi all, I am a budding amateur that simply builds guitars for gifts (I don’t play myself..yet) I simply follow the pattern and instructions in the Gore, Gilet Volume 2. Steel string, Falcate braced, 645.2mm Scale Length, no Nut Compensation. I have read and re-read sections pertaining to Saddle Comp...

Hi all, can anyone tell me why “The Primary braces overlay the Bridge plate and MUST BE assembled with the bridge plate USING THE SAME RESIN MIX”?

Hi Trent, Sorry mate I am not quite following this “ Normally I would like the front edge of the bridge to be 5mm from the centre of bridge.” And also this ”So, SL 645.2 + compensation 3.5 - 5mm = 643.7mm from the nut or 321.1 from the 12th.” So, Is the measurement from the 12th fret to the front of...

TOTALLY confused now, I have read everything I can find on positioning of the saddle and still don’t get it. This is my first build and I am following (what I can) the Gore/Gilet build book. I have gone with: Steel String Scale Length 645.2 mm Falcate Braced Bolt on-Bolt off neck Saddle only Compens...

Thanks all for helping a newbie, I ended up shaving a couple of mm off the top of the bridge, plugged holes 1 and 6, put a thicker piece of Rosewood on top of bridge then redrilled holes with 1 and 6 aligning with 2 and 5 respectively. A little tidying up still to do, very happy so far. Thanks again...

Martin, thanks for the reply mate, now don’t laugh....what sort of figure is the final action height....know virtually nothing about guitars yet, I don’t even play yet...this is a birthday gift‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️ for my brother

Hi all, I have inserted this in a previous post but am posting it again as a standalone. I am about to carry out a repair to the bridge on my first build and realise that an “accurate” figure cannot be stated without figures that I cannot yet measure, but I am looking for a ballpark/Starting point f...

Hi again Brains Trust,
I am about to attempt my repair and need some info that I can’t seem to find anywhere: If I run a straightedge (as per pic) along the frets, is there a ballpark figure I should aspire to in relation to bridge height and that straightedge?

Hi again Brains Trust,
I am about to attempt my repair and need some info that I can’t seem to find anywhere: If I run a straightedge (as per pic) along the frets, is there a ballpark figure I should aspire to in relation to bridge height and that straightedge?

Hi Mark, thanks for the kind words mate
Ummm...have you been checking my letterbox because these arrived today

Thanks to all for the most excellent and useful responses, I have come to the conclusion that my best course of action is to plug the peg holes for 1st and 6th strings and move them tailward to line up with 2nd and 5th respectively. There are no braces near either peg hole so that issue is thankfull...

Thanks for all the responses guys, here is my process: Not having a long enough accurate ruler to measure full length I have 322.6mm from fretboard side of (uncompensated) nut to centre of 12th fret. Now the confusing part (for me) 322.6mm + 3mm for compensation = 325.6mm from nut to saddle on centr...

Hi to all, I am building my first guitar, I am currently at this point: Bolt on/Bolt off, Falcate braced, Steel string, 12the fret at the neck/body joint, Saddle only Compensation (not yet done) Bridge is glued down, ALL finish applied. Today was to be the day that I routed out the saddle slot, by m...

Hi Bob_H, I have used the shellac and Pumice method for pore filling and found it works very well, my understanding of that method is that the Pumice acts like an abrasive on the timber that effectively “sands” out fine particles of the parent timber and mixes with the shellac to fill the pores. Whi...

Hi Allen, I have given your reply considerable thought and carried out some tests and observations, you are correct about the sink back but I think you need to take into account the time taken for the solvent to evaporate. The amount of gassing off? Decreases exponentially over time, you mentioned i...